


So that you never die

by minorin



Category: Life Is Strange 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Blood brothers ending, But just a little, Gen, Protective Siblings, Protective Younger Brothers, fluff?, mention of detox juice, mention of smoking, mention of wound
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29195355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minorin/pseuds/minorin
Summary: Three times Sean sees Daniel sigh during their years in Puerto Lobos.Blood Brothers ending.
Relationships: Daniel Diaz & Sean Diaz
Kudos: 14





	So that you never die

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Natalie by Milk & Bone (I assume yall know this song!)

Daniel doesn’t want to go to school.

“Come on, man. We’ve talked about this,” Sean tries to talk things through with his little brother. “No way I’m gonna let you just stay home for another year. You are already 11.”

Daniel is still pouting, not replying.

Sean tries again. “Your Spanish is good enough. You are friends with our neighbor’s kids, so you can definitely make friends in school.”

“It’s not about my Spanish. Or other kids.”

“Then what is it? Are you worried about the tuition? We’ve got that covered too.” Sean runs through several possible reasons for the reluctance, but none of them seems to fit.

Daniel sighs. “I’m worried…”

“About what?”

“That you might get hurt when I’m not around.”

This is something Sean didn’t expect, but quickly he finds a solution. “I can buy you a phone. Not a smart one, though. You can text and call me anytime.”

“But, but if something happens?”

“The school is not that far from home. It’s like, 15 minutes by foot.”

Daniel ponders for a moment, and asks, “Can you take me to school and come to pick me up every day?”

“That I can do.”

This is not a tough task, given that Sean already wakes up early every day to make them both breakfast. Daniel proposed to cook and started to play around with kitchen utensils several months ago, but has not made his official cook debut yet.

Daniel still seems reluctant, brows furrowed, but finally he nods, “Fine. I’ll go to school. But can I get a better phone? You know, one I can play Mustard Party on.”

And soon by the end of the day, Daniel has got his smartphone and this has become another not-so-successful negotiation Sean has with Daniel.

+++

Daniel overacts whenever Sean gets hurt.

“It’s just a small cut,” Sean says, trying to recall where he has put the first aid kit.

“But you are bleeding!” Daniel is just panicked. He is pacing around Sean like an anxious puppy.

“Can you grab me the first aid kit? I think it’s near the cupboard.”

Daniel nearly jumps at the order and runs to the cupboard to pull out the kit.

Sean walks to the sink and holds his cut left index finger out. Before he reaches his right hand for the faucet, Daniel rushes to the sink as well and carefully turns the faucet on.

Sean winces when cold water hits the cut. Several minutes later, the pain becomes numb and it seems the cut has stopped bleeding.

Then Daniel offers to help drain the water from his finger and use iodophor swabs to clean and disinfect the wound. After cleaning the wound, he applies a piece of gauze to it.

Sean intended to deal with the cut on his own, but with one hand things do get more problematic, so he lets Daniel help. Honestly, he is a little surprised the kid can be this focused and patient.

Daniel sighs when he finishes the last touch of the bandaging.

Sean feels a little amused and asks, “What?”

“I wish I could be more of use.”

“You are the one with the power, remember? It’s useful enough.”

“But I can’t heal wounds. I wish I had the power to heal wounds.”

“It’s really just a small cut. It doesn’t hurt,” Sean says almost instinctively, and has to amend a little remembering their “no more lies” promise, “that much.”

“But, what if, what if you get really really injured. Like… like that time at the farm… I’m scared, Sean.”

And Sean wants to sigh himself. “I don’t want to get injured neither, but I can’t promise you that I will never get hurt. That would be a lie. I can only assure you that I will try to be more careful, OK?”

He pats Daniel on the head, using the hand not injured. Sometimes Sean feels he doesn’t deserve Daniel’s love and trust, because he is the one who made his little brother see the worst and do the worst.

“OK.” Daniel finally accepts the proposition.

“And you know how dangerous those kitchen utensils can be. Be careful when you use them.”

“OK OK. Geez. I’m not a kid!”

Daniel still doesn’t like chores but seems happy to be in the kitchen and help when Sean’s cooking ever since.

+++

Daniel hates smoking.

Sean thought that as the little boy grew up, this dislike toward cigarettes will naturally fade away but he was wrong. Daniel has never really been interested in smoking.

Not that Sean doesn’t like it. As a parent, he appreciates that he doesn’t need to worry about this kind of bad habit dwelling on his little brother. And he begins to understand Esteban more and more when Daniel grows up.

Daniel didn’t like going to school at first, but after several months he fitted in perfectly and seemed to start to enjoy it. And then it’s Sean’s turn to worry about school.

How’s Daniel doing with his class? His grades? His classmates? Has he made any friends? Are his friends good or bad? What could or should Sean do if Daniel has befriended someone that might hurt him?

OK, that might be overthinking. But one thing Sean is pretty sure of is that kids in Daniel’s school smoke. It’s truly a mystery that Daniel doesn’t follow the others and learn to smoke as Sean did.

And not only that Daniel doesn’t smoke; he also hates it when Sean smokes.

At first, he put on his pouty face whenever he smelt something around Sean. Later on, he began to hide Sean’s cigarette packs and play dumb when questioned. It was really annoying for Sean in the beginning, especially when he met some critical problems and could really use some nicotine. Now this game has become their Treasure Hunting 2.0 and Sean even kind of expects the sudden missing of his cigarettes, upon which the game starts.

However, Daniel doesn’t seem to be in the mood of planning treasure hunting today. Instead, he asks Sean for a cigarette when Sean takes out his cigarettes and lighter.

They are both sitting on the porch, watching the ocean moving at its own pace.

Sean hesitates and then hands him the pack. Sure, Daniel is not a kid anymore, but it still doesn’t feel right to offer him such a thing as tobacco.

Daniel pulls out a cigarette, and Sean leans in a little to light the cigarette with Esteban’s old lighter.

Not to Sean’s surprise, he almost coughs out immediately after taking in the first drag.

After several coughs, he manages to take the second and starts to cough even harder.

“I thought you didn’t like tobacco,” Sean says teasingly, patting lightly on Daniel’s back to help with the coughing.

“I don’t. It’s just…” Daniel sighs and replies, after finally gaining his breath. The cigarette is dying between his fingers.

“What? What is it that makes you want to try it then?”

Daniel looks him in the eye and says, “You smoke a lot.”

Sean doesn’t quite define himself as a tobacco addict and has to defend himself. “Not that much.”

“Well, yeah, not that much, but still. I want to learn to smoke, so next time I can smoke with you.”

“I wouldn’t recommend. It’s actually not healthy.”

“Then how come you always smoke? If it’s not healthy?” Daniel points out.

“You really want me to quit smoking, huh?” Sean smiles awkwardly at the retort.

“Yeah… I just, I don’t want you to die an early death. You know, I can move things or stop bullets. But I can’t cure cancer or something.”

Daniel’s voice trails off a little at the end. At that moment, he looks incredibly like their father, when the man talked about proper diet and healthy lifestyle and self-made detox juice. Sean is startled at the resemblance and is speechless for a while.

“I’ll… consider quit. Just, don’t expect too much. It takes time.” After some silence, he finally makes his decision and voices it out.

Daniel blinks, not believing what he’s heard.

“Come on, you are not that addicted to it,” Daniel says, a smile cracking on his face.

“Hope so.”

The way Daniel’s eyes light up like a match makes Sean’s heart clench a little. They never know how the telekinesis works and Sean always fears that one day the power will burn his little brother out, like a campfire, or candle, or cigarette.

He hopes they will never burn out.

Sean takes another long drag on his cigarette and throws the end away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> The last part is inspired by the talk Karen and Sean had in Episode 4! And I really like the last scene of Blood Brothers where the two were "sitting together watching the universe do its own thing" as depicted the words of Karen. Although I made Sean quit smoking in the end (sorry)


End file.
